Taliban urges U.S. Congress to release Afghanistan’s assets

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Taliban foreign ministry is urging the U.S. Congress to release Afghanistan’s assets. The militant group’s acting foreign minister said in a statement Wednesday that the sanctions are playing “havoc” with trade, business and humanitarian assistance. The country is facing an economic crisis that has alarmed international organizations. The World Food Program says 8.7 million people in Afghanistan are at risk of “famine-like conditions.” Meanwhile an explosion Wednesday hit a minivan in a Shiite neighborhood in western Kabul, killing one civilian and wounding three others. A Taliban official told The Associated Press that an investigation is continuing. He did not elaborate. No one immediately claimed responsibility.